I Tried everything, but my cockatiels wont try new food groups.?

Question

For the 2 years I have my tiels I fed them mixed seeds and a year later bird soil which one of them loves. They also have a cuttlebone and fresh green veggies everyday. I've tried everything recomended, but so far they still only eat the soil, mixed seeds and green veggie leaves. The first time she laid eggs the eggs they didnt hatch. Now they have 5 eggs with posstive signs. I worry that she doesn't get enough nutrition to supply the coming chicks. I've tried many things including warming up the whole corn from the can and boiled egg yolk and various fruits. No luck. Please help.

Answer 1

An all seed diet is pretty poor, so you could try moving them onto a pelleted diet. The fact that they will eat greens is encouraging, though. Use spinach and kale and dark green veggies rather than lettuce or celery whenever possible.

To encourage them to try something else, I did this:

Place their favorite food treats in a special dish, either on the floor of the cage or a bowl hanging from the side. Always use the SAME dish. I used to used a red saucer. Every day the very most favorite treat goes on that one dish. This way the birds learn that whatever is on the dish is YUMMY!

Now once you have done this for a while and the birds descend upon their treat with relish each day, now you start gradually adding in the stuff you want them to try. It may help if you add in small pieces right on top of the goodies they already love. If they get some of the small pieces of new stuff by accident they may decide they like it after all. Sneak it in gradually and you may find that they are soon trying ANYTHING you put on the treat plate.

And a suggestion: since you are breeding, be sure to give them mashed up hard boiled egg every day even if you think they aren't eating it. As their need for protein increases as they feed their babies, they may suddenly start eating it. You may find that they need so much extra food that they try everything you give them. But protein is very important for the healthy babies and it is very limited in grains. You can also try green beans raw, That will help make complete protein when combined with the grains. And I had success offering very high quality dog food ground up as a supplement. I used Science Diet with success. This should not replace the regular diet, but be in addition.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Why don't you ask if there is a local breeder you can talk to about it. Your vet would know or even your local show society as they have Bird shows through the year,or the local pet shop. Its worth a try. You can buy suppliments to add to the drinking water and there is an egg biscuit mixture you can make yourself with arrowroot biscuits(crushed finely) and egg yolk from a hard boiled egg mashed into it with a little water. I have used that on Canaries successfully. If you want you can get a commercially produced egg biscuit mix from the pet shop or vets.

Answer 3

mix egg vitamins with the food, that way when they lay next time, the eggs will be healthy and also try putting seed over the soil so they can eat the seed. hope i helped.